The Apocalypse Doesn't Always Mean The End
by AvengedSoul1896
Summary: A thrilling story of a girl trying to survive the end of the world, and realizing that the dead aren't her only enemies. My own original character xXx Daryl D.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A silver Chevy Impala drove slowly down the road, maneuvering around the abandoned cars and bodies lying on the black pavement. The person behind the wheel was a young woman, her windows were cracked and her dark hair fluttered in the breeze.  
Her name was Danielle, and she was twenty one. The back seat of her car was filled with bags. Music played over the speakers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and she sung quietly to it.  
The sun was just peeking over the horizon; Danielle assumed it was about six or seven. She preferred traveling at night because there was less of a risk of running into other people. Other living people.  
A tan van caught her eye; the back of it was filled with supplies, and looked as if it hadn't been raided yet.  
The silver car slowed to a stop, and was turned off.  
Danielle reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed a machete, and a pistol. She stepped out of the car and tucked her pistol in the back of her shorts. The girl made her way to the van and opened the back of it. She sorted through the bags and found a backpack of canned goods, a shotgun with a few shells and a suitcase of clothes.  
A smile crossed her face as she dug through the clothes. She found a few articles of clothing she liked and took everything back to the car. She turned back and her breath got caught in her throat. Five walkers were making their way to her.  
"I should go." She whispered, but her eyes traveled back the van.  
*I bet they have half a tank of gas in there* She thought to herself.  
Her mind was made up. The agile girl climbed on the hood of her car, then to the roof. The infected people slammed against the car causing it to shake, Danielle fought to keep her balance. The attackers growled and swung their arms at her feet. With a few swipes of her sword, all of them were missing the lower half of their arms.  
She stabbed the machete into each of their heads, and they all sunk to the ground. She whipped her forehead with her forearm.  
After scanning the area intensely she slid off of the car. She quickly popped her trunk and pulled out a gas can and a clear tube. Danielle went back to the van and emptied the gas tank. It had about three gallons in it.  
Once all of the supplies were recovered she got back in her car and continued on.  
After driving for about thirty minutes, her eyelids began to feel heavy. So she found an open area and pulled over.  
It was around eleven now, the sun was high in the sky.  
She got out of the car and found a can of fruit and opened it with a knife. She sat in the grass next to the car, and ate, basking in the warm sunlight.  
She had fallen asleep in no time.

-  
"Well this was a pointless run." Glenn said. Daryl nodded next to him.  
They were driving down the road in a blue Dodge truck. The redneck stared bordly out the window.

-  
Danielle's eye's shot open; the sound of a vehicle approaching filled her ears. She crawled around to the other side of her car, the side not visible to the road, and peered through the window. A blue truck slowly drove past on the road. A sigh of relief escaped Danielle's lungs when they were out of sight. She started to stand but she heard the truck's brakes squeak. The girl crouched down again.  
The truck stopped, and Danielle ducked and crawled under the car.  
A door slammed and she saw feet walk to the driver's side of the car, and then circled around.  
*I have to protect what's mine* was her first instinct.  
She slid out from under the car on the driver's side and aimed her new shotgun to the back of the car where she expected the person to emerge from.  
The girl was taken by surprise when she felt something hard and cold on the back of her head. The barrel of a gun.  
"Drop it." A male's voice said behind her. She dropped her gun and held her hands up.  
"Stand." He commanded. She slowly stood up and turned to him.  
Her mind was racing to find a backup plan. Her hand ran down her back and found her pistol. In a split second she swatted the gun from the Asian man's hand and aimed her pistol at him ready to pull the trigger. But a sharp pain hit her thigh and her leg gave out from underneath her. She hit the ground hard and bit her lip. Tears blurred the injured girl's vision.  
"Son of a bitch!" She screamed. An arrow was sticking out of her thigh.  
She looked up and saw that another man was standing next to the truck.  
"You fucking asshole! I wasn't gonna shoot him." She lied, hoping he wouldn't finish her off. Her shooter walked over to her and looked at her seriously.  
He shook his head and looked at his partner.  
"Let's go." He said. Glenn nodded and they walked towards the truck.  
The injured girl grabbed the side of the car and pulled herself up, trying not to put any weight on her left leg. She limped over to grab her gun; the men were sitting in the truck watching her. With guilt or amusement she didn't know.  
She gasped when she turned back to her car and at least twenty walkers were less than ten feet from her and more were behind them.  
"Shit." She breathed and pulled out her knife. She somehow managed to stab one in the head and hit the other with the butt of the shotgun. She didn't shoot because there was no time to cock it.  
But her injury made her weak, the third walker slammed into her and she fell to the ground. Just as he was crouching over her an arrow pierced his head and he collapsed on top of her.  
The body was thrown off, and the man that shot her was standing over top of her. He stuck his hand out, she hesitantly grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet.  
"Get to your car." He yelled. Danielle shot him a look but obeyed. He protected her, and she made her way to the car. Once she was safely in the passenger seat him and his friend killed off the rest of the walkers.  
Her thigh was gushing blood.  
"I'll follow you!" Daryl yelled to Glenn. The girl's sight was fading in and out.  
She saw the man climb in the car and reach for the ignition, but there were no keys.  
"Where's the keys?" He asked. His voice sounded like it was miles away to her. She reached in her pocket and pulled them out.  
He started the car; his face was full of concern.  
Her vision went black and she passed out.


	2. Waking Up, or Not

Chapter Two

She awoke to an unbearable pain in her thigh. She shot up and started to swing her fists trying to hit anyone in reach, but hands grabbed her and slammed her down on the cold hard surface she was laying on.  
Lights filled her eyes, but she caught a glimpse of who was around her.  
The man who shot her, an older man was down by her thigh, and a few women.  
"Please stop." She pleaded to the man's familiar face. His blue eyes seemed to pity her, feel guilt, but his face was stern and emotionless.  
Another sharp pain caused everything to go black again.

A/N Sorry it's so short, like very short. But I wasn't too sure of how to make her wake up again.


	3. Meet and Greet

Chapter Three

This time Danielle woke up staring at a bunk on top of her. Her leg was throbbing, but didn't hurt as bad as it had previously. She sat up and looked around her, she was surrounded by concrete walls, it was a prison cell.  
*Was I arrested?* She thought to herself, it was a silly thought, but what other explanation was there?  
The girl looked down at her thigh, the arrow was gone and the wound was wrapped in a white bandage.  
Danielle took up breath and stood up. The pain in her thigh intensified and she gasped, but stayed standing.  
She limped over to the barred door and wrapped her hands around the bars.  
She observed where she was.  
A catwalk was in front of her but she couldn't see over the railing.  
"Hey!" Danielle yelled. Her voice was hoarse from screaming. A man almost immediately appeared.  
He wearing a sheriff's shirt, and looked very rugged.  
"Hello. I'm Rick." He simply said. Danielle smirked.  
"Where the hell am I?" She hissed. Rick smiled and itched his head.  
"You're safe, that's what matters." He answered his voice thick with annoyance.  
"And that answers my question how?" She angrily said back. Rick's facial expression changed completely.  
"Well it's all you're gonna know. So I suggest that you be a little great full. We did just save your life." He hissed and walked away.  
"I wouldn't have needed my life saved if I wasn't shot!" She yelled after him.  
Suddenly dizziness overtook her and she fell to the ground.

There was a loud click and screech. Two arms slid underneath her and lifted her up. Danielle's eyes fluttered open for a moment to see that it was the man that had shot her was carrying her. He gently laid her on the bed. As he turned to walk away her hand reached out and weakly grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He looked back at her; his blue eyes were blank and emotionless.  
"Please tell me where I am." She whispered.  
"You're safe. Don't worry." He said back, his gaze lingered on her for a moment, and then he got up and closed the cell door behind him. He looked back through the bars for a moment and left.  
Danielle faded out again.

This time she woke up to the sun filling the little cell she was in. She sat up again and looked down at her thigh; the bandage was soaked with blood. She took a second to look around the cell she was in. It was tiny, with pale walls, covered in scratches and writing.  
"Hi, are you hungry?" A kind voice said from the cell door. Danielle looked up with tired eyes. A woman with a kind face and very short hair was standing outside the bars with a bowl of what looked like oatmeal.  
Danielle nodded slowly. The door opened and the older woman came in, Rick stood silently in the doorway. Probably to keep an eye on Danielle.  
"Thank you." Danielle mumbled gratefully when the bowl was handed to her. She began to eat hungrily, the woman watched her with fascination.  
"I'm Carol." The woman said. Danielle looked up and swallowed.  
"I'm Danielle." She quietly said. Carol smiled and looked down at the blood soaked bandage on Danielle's thigh.  
"That needs changed." She stated, not to Danielle but to Rick. He nodded.  
"It needs cleaned too." He said.  
They both stayed there until Danielle finished eating.  
"Do you mind coming downstairs with us so we can dress your wound?" Carol asked.  
She didn't know why but Danielle felt so comfortable around Carol, the kind woman reminded her of her mother. Her mother was a kind woman as well, so kind that it took her life in the end. Danielle pushed the thought of her mother out of her mind and nodded.  
"Ok." She answered. Danielle grabbed the top bunk and pulled herself up. Rick walked over and slid his arm around her waist and helped her walk. He was being much nicer now than he was earlier.  
"There's stairs, ok?" He mumbled as they left the cell. Danielle nodded and continued forward.  
They made their way down the catwalk and came to the stairs. Danielle looked up at Rick.  
"I can manage." She said and grabbed the railing. She made it to the first stair and gasped in pain; Rick came over and helped her down. The injured girl felt ashamed that she wasn't able to do something as small as walking down stairs. Danielle followed Rick and Carol to another cell.  
She hadn't seen anyone else yet, but she heard people whispering in the cells.  
"I'll go get Hershel." Carol said. Rick nodded and gestured for her to sit.  
"Can we try introductions again?" He said and put his hand out. The girl smirked and shook his hand.  
"I'm Danielle." She mumbled. Rick smiled; she shifted uncomfortably under his stare, he made her feel like a child.  
"I'm Rick." He said. Danielle nodded and bit her lip.  
"Will you tell me where I am?" She whispered. Rick nodded.  
"You're at a prison." He simply said, and Danielle nodded.  
"Guess I should have guessed huh?" She muttered. Rick chuckled.  
A few moments later Carol returned with an older man on crutches. Danielle recognized him as the man who fixed her leg.  
"Up and moving I see." He said and sat next to her.  
Another person appeared in the doorway, the man who shot her. Danielle shot him a dirty look, and he half smiled. Rick saw their exchanges and smiled as well.  
"I see you met Daryl?" He jokingly said. Daryl laughed and shook his head.  
"If that's what you wanna call him shooting me, then yea. I met him." She hissed. Daryl gave her a defensive look.  
"You were gonna shoot Glenn!"He yelled. Danielle tried to jump up and hit him but Rick firmly placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't have tried to shoot him if you two weren't a threat first." She hissed, Daryl shook his head angrily. Danielle glared at him.

"May I?" Hershel asked, gesturing towards her thigh. Danielle tore her angry stare from Daryl and looked at Hershel. She slowly nodded and leaned back so he could reach her thigh. Hershel unwrapped her thigh carefully. Danielle looked up and saw that Daryl was gazing down at her. Her legs, her waist, her stomach and chest, then he looked up to her face. Their eyes locked, he immediately looked away and shifted awkwardly.  
Danielle's face felt hot and she looked down at her hands. She redirected her attention to the older gentleman dressing her wound. She looked down at his leg and stifled a gasp when she saw that the bottom of his leg was completely gone! The man chuckled slightly.

"I got bit, so Rick took my leg. He saved my life." The one legged man said, without looking up.

"And you didn't turn? That stopped it?" She asked, full of curiosity. Hershel chuckled, this time looking up at her.

"I'm not trying to eat you am I?" He said with a smile. Danielle couldn't help but to smile back and laugh a little.  
Hershel was finished wrapping her up in a few minutes.  
"It's healing nicely." He simply said, and got up and left.  
Danielle looked up at Rick. She knew that she needed to be as nice to him as she could, and maybe she wouldn't be stuck in the cell.  
"Um, can I go to my car and get some clothes?" She asked. Rick nodded and itched his head again.  
"Yea. You need any help?" Rick asked and offered his arm. Danielle nodded and stood up.  
"I think I can manage, but how do I get out?" She asked.  
"I'll walk you to your car." Carol offered but Rick shook his head. No matter how comfortable Rick seemed to be he still didn't fully trust her.  
"I will." He said, and Carol nodded.  
He left the medical cell and Danielle followed at a slow pace.  
She saw Daryl go up the stairs, and couldn't help but to smirk amused. He acted like he hated her, but he had saved her and cared for her. He turned and saw that she was watching him and gave her a half smile. Danielle snarled her lip up and continued following after the Sheriff.  
They went outside and Danielle grabbed a book bag, she turned and saw Rick giving her a stern look.  
"I need to look through that." He stated. Danielle wanted to tell him to fuck off, jump in her car and leave, but she knew that she didn't have a chance on her own with an injury like this. So she handed him the bag.  
He knelt down with it and dug through the contents, which were mainly clothes and a few personal items. He felt something cold and pulled it out with his brow furrowed. He held a sleek black camera in his hand.  
"Never thought I'd see one of these again." He mumbled and shoved it back into the bag.  
Danielle suddenly became aware that she had no idea where any of her weapons were.  
"Where's my stuff." She snapped. Rick glanced up.  
"Can't let you have that right now." He simply said, and handed her the bag. Danielle felt her rage begin to boil over but she bit her tongue and attempted to hide her glare by looking towards the ground. She limped slowly behind him and headed back into the prison.  
More people were in the main room now; they all stared at Danielle as she entered.  
Rick stopped when he saw all of the people and turned to her.  
"I need you to go back to your cell." He commanded. She nodded and headed towards the stairs. She saw Carol give her a pitying look.  
Rick practically carried her up the stairs and locked her in her cell.  
"I've never been to jail before." She muttered as he walked away. The girl didn't see the warm smile that crossed Rick's face.  
The dark haired girl considered changing, but the stair climbing took a lot out of her. She laid down on the bunk, curled into a ball and fell asleep.


	4. Breaking the Ice

Chapter Four

Danielle woke up once during the night to the sound of a baby crying, it startled her and she almost didn't believe there was a baby here. But the child was soon hushed and the prison was silent again.  
She laid there for a moment, trying to hear anything else, and then fell asleep again.

"Hey, get up!" A voice called. Danielle's eyes shot open and she reached for her gun on her hip but there was nothing there.  
*Oh right.* She thought to herself, and looked up to the cell door. Daryl was standing behind the bars smirking. Before Danielle could say anything Carol appeared in front of him.  
"Be nice." She mumbled to him, and she opened the cell door then came in. She was holding a bowl of food in one hand and a medical kit in the other. Daryl stepped in behind her, with his crossbow in his hand.  
Danielle carefully pushed herself up and made room for Carol who sat next to her, but she never took her eyes off of Daryl and he never took his off of her.  
"Here you go." She happily said and handed Danielle a bowl of canned fruit.  
"Thank you." Danielle mumbled and sat the bowl on the floor next to her.  
She scooted back to where her back rested on the wall and Carol propped her leg up.  
"Um, you don't need to do it. I can." Danielle said when Carol reached for the kit.  
"It's no trouble honey." Carol responded, giving her a motherly look. Danielle felt tears sting her eyes and looked down at her hands. A concerned look crossed Daryl's face while this happened.  
The white bandage was soaked with blood again; Danielle's sheets had blood smudges on them too. Carol carefully unwrapped the bandage and pulled out cotton balls and alcohol.  
Danielle glanced up at Daryl, their eyes met and he quickly looked away.  
After cleaning the wound, Carol gathered her things and stood. She threw the injured girl a look drenched in pity.  
"I've asked Rick to let you come down, but I guess he's nervous." The woman apologetically said.  
"No worries, I understand." Danielle said and nodded. Carol smiled at her and left the cell; Daryl followed behind her and closed the barred door.  
"Hey asshole." Danielle called when he turned to leave. The man spun around, and glared at her, ready for a fight.  
"Thanks for not leaving me to die." She simply said.  
Daryl was shocked by this gesture, but nodded and walked away.  
Danielle grabbed the bowl of fruit and slowly ate, enjoying every bite.  
She lay back in bed and stared at the bunk above her. And a few hours later she was in the same position, bored out of her mind. She could hear the vague sound of voices but nothing else.  
The long haired girl climbed off of bed, sat on the floor and opened her bag. She pulled out a t-shirt and another pair of shorts. She pulled off her shirt and slid into the other one, smiling when she looked down and saw that it was her Lynard Skynard shirt. Then she carefully slid out of her shorts, and shimmied into the other pair. She yelped in pain when she slid them over her wound.  
"Thank god that's over." She whispered and looked around the cell.  
The girl walked up the walls and began to look at the writings.  
*I'm so sorry* *Jessica I love you* *243 more days*  
were some of the comments.  
"It's like a book huh?" Rick's voice called from the door. Danielle spun around. He opened the door and stepped in.  
"I wanted to know if you'd be interested in joining us for dinner." He politely asked. The girl smiled.  
"That'd be nice."  
He helped her across the catwalk and down the stairs. When they reached the bottom he walked to the large table and Danielle limped behind him. There was a seat opened next to Carol and a blond girl, and Danielle sat.  
A plate rice and meat was placed in front of her. She muttered a thank you and began to eat. She couldn't help but notice that no one was talking, and everyone would stare at her until she looked up. Eventually Danielle got sick of it.  
"Hello everyone. I'm Danielle and I'm new here." She sarcastically said. Rick cracked a wide smile, and Danielle saw a half smile cross Daryl's lips.  
"Well that's one way to do it." Rick said, and looked up at Danielle. It's like a weight was lifted off everyone shoulders then.  
Small chat started, and Beth the girl next to her asked Danielle questions throughout the meal.  
When everyone was done Danielle helped Carol with the dishes.  
"Rick there's someone in front of the prison!" A large man named Oscar called. Everyone jumped up and went outside. Danielle slowly followed behind.  
By the time she got out of the prison, Rick had the woman at gun point.  
"Where'd you get this?" He asked. Holding a bag of something Danielle couldn't see.  
"There was an Asian boy, and a girl." She said. Hershel hopped forward, obviously upset by what she said. This visitor was a wild looking woman, with long dreads and a crazed look in her eyes.  
"Where are they?!" He asked.  
"A man took them." She said. Rick lowered his gun.  
"Come with me, we need to talk." He walked into the prison, holding the woman's hands behind her back walking her in front of him. Hershel hobbled behind them trying to keep up.  
A state of panic filled the group, but a silent panic. Beth began to cry, Carol consoled her. But everyone else just stared. They eventually made their way inside. Danielle followed like a puppy again, and Daryl followed her, but keeping his distance.  
Inside everyone began to discuss what to do.  
Glenn and Maggie were taken to a town called Woodberry; after a long discussion the group decided that they would move out the next night. Danielle stood in the corner of the room watching the group discuss the plan. She carefully listened to what was being said and deeply thought. She recalled a few months ago when she ran into a small group of people and they brought her back to their camp. It was like a town and was run by a terrible man; she refused to stay there and tried to leave but they wouldn't let her. She had to escape, killing a few of them as she left. It wasn't like a town, well on the surface it was. But underneath it's kind and pleasant exterior it was a sick place.  
"You're just gonna leave them there for another day?!" Beth yelled. Hershel hushed her.  
"We need to be prepared." Was all Rick said. He locked the woman in another room and approached Danielle.  
"I'm gonna trust you enough not to lock you up tonight." He said and went to his cell. Stress was all she could see on his face. Danielle limped after him.

"Rick, I've been there." Danielle said quietly so no one else could hear her, she didn't notice that Daryl was carefully watching her. Rick spun around, he felt a little relived that this Michonne woman's facts were true.

"What do you mean?"He asked her. Danielle explained what happened to her and how she stayed there for a few weeks and Rick nodded.

"We leave tomorrow and if you feel up for it, then I'd like you to come along. Just to confirm it's the right place. You don't have to go inside or fight." He quietly said. Rick didn't trust this woman yet but he would like to have her along in case Michonne was lying. Danielle smiled and nodded.

Everyone else gravitated to their cells, and Danielle sat in C block alone. She didn't see Daryl sitting at the top of the stairs watching her still.  
After the day she had, Danielle began to long for the comfort of her cell. She awkwardly got up and made her way to the stairs. Daryl got up and came down the stairs. He put his arm around her waist assuming she needed help. Danielle shoved him off and glared.  
"I really don't need your help." she growled.  
"What the fuck ever." Daryl snapped and went up the stairs two at a time and disappeared into his cell.  
Danielle tried to step up with her bad leg but gasped in pain and stepped down again. She tried again but this time felt an even sharper pain and fell.  
"Dammit." She mumbled and limped over to a bench against the wall. She didn't see the blood trail she was leaving behind her. She sat on the bench and tried to catch her breath, not understanding why she was so tired. Black dots began to fill her vision and her head began to feel heavy.

Daryl paced in his cell, he was pissed. He stopped every few seconds and listened for her. And after not hearing her for a few minutes he stepped out of his cell and looked down the catwalk. He saw her slumped over on the bench and with a closer look he saw that her leg was soaked with blood.

"Dumb bitch." He growled and took off down the stairs.  
The redneck ran down the stairs and knelt in front of her.  
"Danielle." He said, and shook her a little; she groaned but didn't open her eyes. "Shit."  
He picked her up and took her up to her cell; he began to panic when he saw how pale her face was in the moonlight. After sitting her down he rushed downstairs.

She heard her name called, felt herself getting picked up, but couldn't seem to gather the strength to open her eyes. She was laid down on something soft, and she heard footsteps leave the room.  
The footsteps returned soon after, and Danielle felt herself being propped up.  
Daryl unwrapped the bandage around her thigh and sighed. She tore the stitches, and it was bleeding a lot. He went to work immediately, and cleaned the wound with alcohol. Danielle's eyes shot open in reaction to the pain. She didn't yell out or move though. He looked up and saw that her jaw was tightly clenched.  
"Sorry." Daryl mumbled and wrapped the wound again. He put his hand on it and applied a small amount of pressure to stop the bleeding.  
"Guess I did need your help." She drowsily mumbled. He chuckled and glanced up at the girl. Her hair was falling in her face, and behind it he saw that she had dark circles under her eyes and was still pale.  
*She needs food.* He thought to himself. The man quickly cleaned up the dirty bandage and his supplies, and then rushed out of the room again.  
Danielle, who was already gaining more energy, watched him leave with a smirk. She pushed herself up and rested her back on the wall. Her leg was throbbing but it was easy to ignore.  
*Why am I so stupid?* She thought. Just a little while ago she couldn't stand the guy, and now he pretty much saved her life...again.  
He came back in the room with a plate of salted meat. "Thanks." She meekly said. He nodded and looked at her thigh; blood was already showing through the bandage.  
"It needs stitched." He stated. Danielle looked down and smirked.  
"Yea...it looks like it." She quietly said. "Can you do it?" She asked. Daryl looked shocked.  
"Hershel's better at this sorta stuff."  
Danielle smiled. "Well I really don't want to wake him up over a silly thing like this." she said. Daryl laughed as well and nodded.  
"I'll be right back." And he left. Danielle smiled to herself and nibbled on the meat.

Daryl came back with another box under his arm. He slowly sat on the bed next her and opened the box. In it, were clear string, a couple needles, and more alcohol.  
"This is gonna hurt." He said. Danielle chuckled.  
"No kidding." She breathed. Daryl reached for her thigh and began to unwrap the already bloody bandage, but this time the touch of his fingers gave Danielle goose bumps.  
He pushed the string through the needle and tied it on, and pulled out a lighter. He ran the flame over the needle and dipped it in alcohol. He looked up at Danielle, and she nodded.  
The needle both burned and stung when it pierced her skin, causing her to whimper, but Daryl didn't pause. The girl closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall.  
"So Daryl, where are you from?" Danielle asked trying to take her mind off the pain.  
"A little town outside of Atlanta." He bluntly answered. Danielle nodded and tried to think of another question.  
"Is there a baby here?" She asked. She felt Daryl hesitate.  
"Why you wanna know?" He growled.  
"I heard one the other night, but I haven't seen one." She simply said. Daryl went back to work.  
"Yea, she's Rick's baby." He answered. Danielle opened her eyes.  
"Where's the mother?" She quietly asked. Daryl looked down, his hands hesitated slightly.  
"Didn't make it." He whispered. Danielle nodded and closed her eyes again, and tried to think of things to lighten the mood.  
"What's the baby's name?" She lightly asked.  
"Little ass kicker." She could almost hear the smile in his voice. She opened her eyes again, and smiled widely.  
"I'm assuming Rick didn't pick the name?" She asked. Daryl laughed.  
"Nah, her real name is Judith. Rick's son Carl named her. But my nickname for her kinda stuck."  
Danielle nodded and a warm smile crossed her face.  
"You guys are like a real family here, huh?" She asked. Daryl looked up at her, his blue eyes were swimming.  
"Yea, we are." He answered. "And you could be a part of that if you wanted." He added on looking her in the eye, and then he shook his head and looked down.  
That made Danielle smile wider and glance down at her hands.  
"I'd like that." She quietly said.  
She didn't see the look Daryl gave her when she looked away, his face was soft and a genuine smile crossed it.  
He finished the stitches and cleaned up the wound, then wrapped it again. The redneck gathered up his things and stood to leave, but Danielle caught his hand. He looked down at her with soft eyes.  
"Thank you." She said.  
"Your welcome." He mumbled, pulled his hand from hers and left. Danielle climbed off of the bed and reached into her bag. She pulled out the shiny camera and crawled back in bed.  
She fumbled it in her hands for a few moments, sighed loudly, sat it next to her and lay down.  
Her body still felt weak, and she couldn't get warm. She laid there and shivered until she fell asleep.


	5. Preperations

Chapter Five

Danielle woke up to the sound of movement downstairs. Her heavy eyelids fluttered open and she took a deep breath. The girl rolled over and felt a sheet of heavy fabric on her. She looked down and saw that it was a large comforter. She smiled slightly and sat up.  
Now she was awake and standing. Her leg was throbbing, but she couldn't see any blood seeping through the bandage. She slowly limped out of the cell and looked to the main floor. Everyone was up and moving, but everyone was silent. She tossed her hair up in a messy bun and limped down the catwalk.  
She made it to the stairs and stared down them like they were impossible to walk down.  
"You gonna accept help this time?" A voice sounded from behind her. Danielle jumped and spun around. Daryl was leaning against the railing behind her. Danielle smiled and took a step towards him.  
"Help?" She quietly said. Daryl smirked and walked over to her, but instead of guiding her down the stairs, he picked her up and carried her. Danielle's breath got caught in her throat as his skin brushed against hers.  
When he got to the floor he sat her down and walked over to Rick.  
Danielle watched him walk away and then turned to find Carol who was a couple feet away watching Daryl as well. The girl limped over to her.  
"He seems to like you." Carol said, with a wide smile on her face. Danielle chuckled. "That's something special, he doesn't seem to like anyone anymore."  
"Yea, he helped me some last night." Danielle quietly said. Carol nodded and laughed softly.  
The morning passed by quickly, everyone ate a small amount of oat meal and went on with their chores. Danielle helped Carol when she could but, mostly sat at the table and watched everybody.  
Eventually Rick approached her with a stern look on his face.  
"You're welcome to stay." He quickly said. It took Danielle a moment to realize what he said, and her stomach fluttered when she did.  
"Wait really?" She asked in disbelief that he welcomed her so quickly. A small smile crossed Rick's face.  
"You don't seem to be a bad kid, and the group likes you. So if you wanna stay, you're welcome to." He said, and turned then walked away.  
The smile still hadn't left her face when Daryl walked over to her a few minutes later.  
"What're you smilin' about?" He asked in a bored voice.  
"I guess you were right." She quietly answered. Daryl nodded and turned his head. A satisfied smile crossed his lips.  
"I'm coming with you guys tonight." Danielle said a few moments later. Daryl looked up at her but this time his blue eyes were hard.

"You're hurt." He said sternly. Danielle shook her head.

"I want to help, and I know how to get there and I know some of the people." She answered. Daryl smirked and shrugged.

"If you get hurt it's on you, I ain't a babysitter." He said to her.

"Who said I need I god damn babysitter?"She spit at him. he glared at her and growled quietly, trying to keep his temper in check.

Danielle nodded and began to limp in the direction of the stairs. Daryl was right behind her causing Danielle to turn around.  
"I'm just going out to get some things from my car." She snapped. Daryl shook his head angrily.  
"I'll be here to help you up to your cell." He said, and walked away. Danielle limped out to her car and sorted through her bags. She grabbed all of her personal items and left the bags of food and supplies in the trunk.  
She spotted Rick as she went back in.  
"Hey, the bags in my trunk are supplies, so you guys can take what you want." She called out. Rick mumbled thanks, and continued to walk where he was heading.  
Danielle limped inside and looked for Daryl. She felt bad for snapping at him like that, he was only trying to help her. The redneck was sitting on the stairs waiting for her.  
He helped her to her cell, and before she could say thanks and apologize Rick called him down.  
Danielle sat on her bed and stared at the wall trying not to think too much, but that was impossible. She closed her eyes.

Flashes of his crooked smile and stomach turning laugh filled her thoughts so she quickly opened her eyes. She had to put that behind her, she was part of this group now and would help them the best that she could. Even if it risked seeing _him _again.


	6. Gain and Loose

Chapter Six

A few hours after Danielle went upstairs, Rick came up to retrieve her.

"Are you ready?" He asked, Danielle pushed herself up and nodded. He scratched the back of his head and reached around to his back. He pulled out her pistol and handed it to her.

"You need something to keep yourself safe, but I just want you to know. If you try anything I won't hesitate to take you down. Okay?" He said; trying to sound stern but his eyes showed that he felt bad for talking to her like that. Danielle nodded and took the cold item in her hand, enjoying the familiar feel of her pistol. He helped her up and they made their way downstairs.

Everyone was ready to go, not all of them would go of course, only the one's capable of fighting.

"Ready?" Daryl asked Rick, not even looking over at Danielle.

"As ready as we're going to be." He quietly said. Daryl nodded and walked out of the prison, the members of the group followed. Rick stopped to hug his son, Carl, and kiss Judith.

A few moments later Danielle was sitting next to Daryl and across from Michonne in the bed of a truck. A silver car, being driven by Oscar followed behind them.

Danielle's hands were shaking as she tightly grasped her pistol. Daryl looked over at her and placed his hand atop of her gun. She looked up at him; he could see the fear in her green eyes.

"You don't have to come, just stay at the truck." He quietly said, Danielle had never heard this tone in his voice before. But she shook her head and squeezed the gun tighter.

"I need to help."She whispered. Daryl's brow furrowed as he felt the shaking of her hands increase.

"What happened to you there?" He asked, but before Danielle could answer Michonne called out.

"We should stop here, we're close!" She yelled. Danielle felt the truck downshift and come to a stop. Everyone excited the vehicles and grabbed their weapons. Daryl jumped out of the side of the truck bed and lifted Danielle out of it.

He closely looked at her and held her shoulders.

"You stay with me, 'kay? No matter what happens you stay with me." He whispered. Danielle stared back into his bright green eyes and nodded.

"You recognize this place?" Rick asked Danielle. She tore her eyes from Daryl's and looked around the area. She saw a few abandoned cars that she had seen before. At least she thought so; it was dark when she was here last. She slowly nodded.

"Alright let's go!" He yelled out. Michonne took the lead, but instead of following the road she went into the tree line. Rick hesitated for a moment but followed after and the rest of the group did the same. Danielle limped towards the back with Daryl in his usual spot behind her. she was breathing heavily and extremely tense.

"Why are you so scared?" Daryl quietly asked Danielle. The sound of his voice made her jump. She quickly shook her head. He smirked and continued to scan the woods.

It was dark now and they finally came to the wall that surrounded Woodberry. Danielle limped to Rick's side.

"This is it." She whispered. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"It's a town." He muttered in awe. "We can't search the whole damn place." He said when he noticed the armed men; he looked down at Danielle with a pained look. Danielle nodded.

"I know where they keep prisoners." She whispered. Daryl somehow managed to hear what she had said and stormed forward.

"No! She's hurt too bad." He quietly yelled. Danielle looked up at him.

"Daryl, I'm the only one who knows where they are." She whispered. The fear in her eyes was so visible it broke his heart, but he knew he couldn't tell her no. She really was their only hope in finding Maggie and Glenn. He nodded slowly.

"She stays with me." He growled. Rick nodded.

He told the group the plan and then they split up. Oscar scaled the wall and killed the man on watch, then took his place atop of the wall. Michonne stayed back after she pointed out the hole in the wall she had used to escape. Axel entered the town first, and then Rick, now it was Danielle's turn. She stared into the hole for a moment with her fists clenched. She closed her eyes.

"_Hey there pretty little thing, what you doin out here all alone?" His thick southern accent gave her a headache. _

"_Don't touch me!" She tried to strike the man but he was too fast, too strong. _

"_Don't fight sweet heart, you'll only get hurt." He whispered in her ear. The smell of whiskey and tobacco filled her nostrils._

Her eyes shot open, she took a deep breath and slid through the hole. Daryl quickly entered behind her.

"Alright Danielle, you're our guide." Rick whispered. The fearful girl nodded and raised her pistol. She walked along the buildings, well limped, and came upon an ordinary looking brick building.

"This is where they keep them." She whispered. Rick nodded and signaled for Axel to stand on the other side of the door. He tried the handle, which was luckily unlocked and sent Axel in first. Rick followed in after him and then the other two entered. Daryl shoved Danielle behind him and scanned the area. It was a long narrow hallway with a few doors along it.

"Shh listen." Daryl whispered. Low crying echoed down the hall.

Rick raised his gun and rushed down the hallway to the door at the end. He pulled out a smoke bomb.

"On three. One...two...three!" Axel kicked open the door and Rick threw the bomb in. all three men rushed in and grabbed Glenn and Maggie. Who were kneeling on the floor with bags over their heads.

Smoke filled the small corridor in seconds and Danielle found herself blind, she began to panic.

"Daryl!" She tried to call but began to choke on the smoke.

A strong hand grasped her arm and began to pull her. She attempted to run, trying to ignore the pain in her thigh.

"Hurry!" She heard Rick yell. They busted out of the small building and took off down the road, then ducked out in a small building.

"Okay, Daryl, Axel, Maggie, Glenn, Danielle. Everyone's here." Rick stated, relief was thick in his voice. Daryl was still holding Danielle's arm tightly. He looked at Glenn and Maggie for a moment, then looked over at Danielle. Tears streamed down her face, she was shaking violently and blood was draining down her leg.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. She felt broken and afraid but she nodded and wiped her face.

"Yea, I'm fine. We need to go." She quickly said.

"Are you guys okay?" Rick asked the rescued couple. Glenn had been savagely beaten and looked like he was barely conscious.

"Daryl." Maggie whimpered. Daryl looked away from Danielle and down to the girl.

"He's here Daryl, your brother." She whispered. Daryl walked over to her.

"Where?" He asked, excitedly. She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes.

"He beat Glenn." She breathed. Daryl grabbed her shoulders.

"Where is he Maggie!?" He yelled. She sobbed loudly.

"I don't know." She answered between sobs. Rick pulled Daryl's shoulder.

"We need to leave." He urgently said. Daryl stared down at Maggie for a moment, then stood up and looked out of the window.

"How many more bombs we got?"He asked Rick.

"Three." Rick answered.

Axel supported Glenn and they all stood behind the door. Rick threw a bomb one window and Daryl threw one from another window. In seconds the street was filled with smoke and they were running. Daryl had his arm around Danielle helping her run. Bullets whizzed past them coming from everywhere, the group shot blindly into the smoke, hitting whoever they could. Finally they saw the wall and came to the hole. Everyone piled in and Danielle was last with Daryl behind her. She went halfway through the hole and looked back for Daryl; all she saw was his back. He was running down the street, running away from them.

"Daryl!" She screamed and tried to wiggle her way back into Woodberry but someone pulled her through the other side. She hit and fought but stopped when she saw it was Rick.

"Daryl, he went back!" She cried out, tears stained her face. A panicked expression came across his face.

"Axel, Maggie! We have to go back." He commanded.

No one questioned his ruling, Glenn tried but he was too weak.

"You three need to get back to the truck." Rick said to Danielle, Michonne and Glenn. Michonne and Danielle nodded.

The three watched them disappear back into the hell called Woodberry and then the girls lifted Glenn up.

They moved at a very slow pace, since all three of them were injured. Both Danielle and Michonne's legs were hurt, and Glenn was slowly passing out. But they made it. The girls leaned Glenn against the truck and eagerly watched the tree line.

The sun was now creeping over the horizon and Danielle was still standing there staring at the tree line. Michonne was laying in the bed of the truck now.

"Hey, you're the one me and Daryl found." Glenn mumbled, Danielle barely heard him. she looked back at the Asian man. He was now standing using the truck as support. His face was so beaten that Danielle barely recognized him.

"Yea." She quietly answered.

"So the last time I saw you, you were trying to kill me. And now you saved me. Guess I can't hold a grudge or anything huh?"He said with an attempted smile. Danielle couldn't help but to smile back. She limped over to him.

"How are you, I mean, are you okay?" Danielle asked, not knowing how to phrase the question. He chuckled.

"I feel like a million bucks!" He said. Even though he was trying to be funny Danielle could hear the bitterness in his voice.

They sat in silence for a few more moments.

Danielle heard him before she saw him. The sound of his voice sent chills through her entire body, and then reacting at the same time, Glenn charged forward.

"What is he doing here?!" The young man yelled pointing at the new member of the group. Danielle stumbled back and made her way to the other side of the truck. She peeked over the side of the truck and watched them argue, even Michonne was screaming about this man.

Danielle felt her chest tighten when she saw Daryl in front of the man with a toothy grin defended him.

"He's his brother." She whispered in horror. Just then the man made eye contact with her and his grin widened. At the same time Daryl looked up at her and saw the fright in her eyes, he looked back and saw his siblings grin. Rage enveloped his face and he directed it all to his brother. He said something and then quickly made his way to Danielle who had now turned around facing the opposite way.

Daryl appeared in front of her and took her shoulders into his hands. She was shaking again and more tears fell from her eyes.

"Don't bring him back." She pleaded. Daryl looked confused, he shook his head.

"Danielle, he's my brother." He whispered. She clenched her jaw and looked up at him. She lifted her top up slightly, exposing her stomach. Three long scars trailed from her hip to the middle of her stomach.

"This is your brother." She whispered. Daryl stared down at her stomach in shock.

"Daryl! It's time to go brotha!" The man yelled. Daryl quickly looked up.

"I have to go with Merle." He said, he looked hurt. Danielle shook her head and pulled her arms from him.

"I would leave for my family too." She said, more tears poured out. She did understand why Daryl was leaving, that was his bother. No matter how wicked and terrible he was, he was his family. Daryl stepped back and quickly walked over to Merle. Danielle watched him walk, watched him grab his things, and watched him as his brother threw his arm around him and they walked into the trees.


	7. Returned

Chapter Seven

The next few days were filled with both joy and heartache. The group celebrated the fact that Glenn and Maggie were safe, but mourned the loss of Oscar, and missed Daryl. Danielle spent most of her time in her cell, or outside walking trying to strengthen her leg up.  
Today was a beautiful day, it was probably around two o'clock, and the sun was beating down on the Georgia earth. Danielle was walking around the outer yard. Hershel was in the yard as well talking to Rick, and Michonne was in an overturned bus. Things seemed normal. Besides Rick having a nervous breakdown and seeing his dead wife, things were ok.  
*Bang* Carol screaming.  
Danielle dropped to the ground at the sound of gunshots. She raised her head to see if Carol was ok, but all she saw was a man's body.  
"Axle." She whispered.  
More gunshots.  
Danielle started to crawl towards the gate, but the hidden attacker saw her and began to fire at her. The girl jumped up and sprinted towards the gate, she could feel the stitches tear and blood trickle down her leg but she didn't care.  
Maggie spotted her and rushed to the gate, let her in, and guided her under cover behind a car.  
"Thank you." Danielle breathed. Maggie nodded and handed Danielle one of the assault rifles in her hand.  
"Can you shoot?" Maggie asked. Danielle nodded and quickly took aim. She saw the truck now.  
But as she was firing, the sound of a roaring engine filled the air.  
Everyone stopped shooting and watched. An orange truck became visible as it plowed through the first gate and stopped in the middle of the yard. It was silent.  
The back gate fell down and everyone gasped at what was seen. Walkers poured out of the truck. While everyone stared at the truck in disbelief, Danielle began to panic.  
"Hershel's out there!" She screamed and immediately started to fire at the walkers.  
The man at the truck fired off a few more rounds, got back in his truck, and drove off. Just as he was leaving, the blue truck Glenn was driving returned from a supply run. Michonne flagged him down and showed him where Hershel was. Glenn quickly scooped Hershel up, and drove out to get Rick. Danielle took as breath and sat on the ground leaning against the car. Carol ran over to her.  
"Oh thank God your ok." She said and knelt next to her.  
"You too. I heard you scream but didn't see you." Danielle answered. Carol looked her over.  
"You broke open your stitches again." She observed. Danielle nodded and looked down at her side.  
"You're bleeding." Carol muttered and Danielle lifted her shirt. A bullet had grazed her side but it wasn't too bad.  
"We'll get that cleaned up." Carol said and helped Danielle up.  
"Let's wait a little bit." Danielle said and limped over to the approaching truck. Carl opened the gate and let them in. It was just then that Danielle saw that there were three people in the back of the truck.  
Michonne, Glenn, and Hershel climbed out of the truck. And Rick, Daryl and Merle.  
Danielle's heart leaped, and she heard Carol take a breath.  
"Did we lose anybody?" Rick asked.  
"Axle." Carol mumbled. Rick put his head down and nodded. Danielle's leg started to go numb.  
"Carol." She breathed. The woman looked over and nodded. The girl's leg was covered with blood, and blood trickled down her side as well.  
Carol put her arm around Danielle's waist and helped her inside, Hershel followed. Daryl watched her leave; his face was full of concern.  
They got to the medical room and Danielle sat down.  
"Can we not stitch it because I keep ripping them." Danielle begged. Hershel nodded.  
"If we can get the bleeding to stop, and wrap it tight enough it should be alright." The old man answered.  
Carol and him worked vigorously and got the bleeding to stop, but by the time they were done, Danielle had already lost a lot of blood. She was drowsy and weak.  
"She needs to rest now." Hershel said. Carol left the room to find someone to help. And she returned with Daryl of course.  
Danielle couldn't focus her eyes, she saw someone come in and pick her up.  
"She was really upset when you left." Carol muttered. Daryl nodded and turned to leave but Carol grabbed his arm.  
"I'm happy your back." She said with a kind smile, Daryl nodded and went up the stairs with Danielle. He laid her on the bed and looked at her for a second. Danielle gathered up enough strength to speak.  
"You came back." She quietly said. Daryl leaned down next to her and stroked her long black hair out of her face.

"This is my family." He whispered. Danielle closed her eyes and burrowed her face into his hand. A few minutes later she was fast asleep.  
He heard everyone arguing downstairs and didn't really feel like dealing with it, so he sat with his back against the wall and watched her sleep.  
Her face was so soft, and peaceful. Her long black hair framed her face and covered the pillow behind her. He noticed she had a faded scar on her right cheek.  
The man heard footsteps coming up the stairs and quickly stood up. Rick called his name and Daryl stepped out of her cell.  
"Yea?" Daryl asked.  
"We need to discuss your brother." Rick said. Daryl smirked.  
"Haven't we had enough bullshit for one day?" He said in an angry tone. Rick took the hint and nodded.  
"Just tell your brother to get into a cell." Rick asked. Daryl nodded and went to find Merle, who was leaning against a wall watching the group.  
"Pick a cell." Daryl said to his big brother who looked at him like he was crazy.  
"Excuse me?" Merle snapped. Daryl sighed and brushed his hand through his hair.  
"Rick wants you in a cell for the night." Daryl repeated. Merle chuckled and tried to say something but Daryl had had enough.  
"You tried to kill Glenn! Do you expect them to trust you?" Daryl yelled shutting Merle up. His older brother nodded and went to a cell. He closed the barred door behind him.  
Daryl let out another breath, and went up to his cell. He sat there for a few minutes, and left, returning to Danielle's cell. She still laid there asleep. He sat on the ground, leaning against the wall again. And eventually he dozed off.


	8. Just a Tease

Chapter Eight

Danielle stretched and opened her eyes; she was staring at the bunk above her. Sunlight filled the cell.  
She heard a groan in the cell and her body got cold. The girl looked slowly over and felt relieved when she saw that it was a half awake Daryl.  
"What're you doing in here?" She asked. Daryl rubbed his eyes and smirked.  
"Keeping an eye on you." He answered and yawned. Danielle chuckled.  
"I'm not a kid." She said jokingly.  
"Well you need to be watched just like one." Daryl muttered without thinking. Danielle nodded and glared at him.  
"Thanks." She snapped and walked past him. Daryl stared down at his hands.  
He hadn't meant to upset her, he wasn't used to being able to hurt people's feelings, I mean come on he grew up with Merle.  
Danielle hopped down the stairs with no trouble and limped over to the table.  
"We need to do something." Glenn snapped as soon as Rick sat down. Rick rubbed his head and looked up.  
"Glenn we'll talk about this later." Rick pleaded, trying to get the boy to stop, but it didn't work.  
Danielle stood up and went outside. She really didn't want to deal with the arguing.  
She lay back on the grass in a small courtyard she had found and stared up at the cloudless sky.  
A few hours later Carol came looking for her.  
"Hey you ok?" She asked, and sat down next to Danielle.  
"Yea. Just wanted some fresh air." Danielle answered.  
"I'm mad at him too, but you shouldn't hold a grudge." She said with her kind smile. Danielle laughed and nodded.  
"Ok. What are they talking about in there?" Danielle asked curiously.  
"Rick wants to set up a nightly watch."  
"Oh."  
They sat in silence for a few more minutes.  
Beth appeared around the corner.  
"Hey Rick wants to talk to everyone." She called. Carol helped Danielle up and they went inside.  
Rick described how the watches were going to work, 3 rotations a night, and announced the first watch. It was him, Glenn, and Maggie volunteered.  
After the meeting Carol got started on dinner and Danielle helped. She didn't notice Merle gawking at her from behind. She turned to grab a box of rice and saw him.  
"Can I help you?" She growled. Merle raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.  
"There are a lot of things you could do for me." He said. Danielle's stomach turned.  
"And none of them are gonna happen." She spit, grasping her pistol. He raised an eyebrow, turned and walked away.  
"Just ignore him." Carol advised. Danielle chuckled.  
"That seems easy enough." Danielle answered. They finished with dinner.

Danielle still hadn't told anyone about her and Merle's past. She herself tried to forget too, she was slowly beginning to calm down and be a little more comfortable.  
Danielle sat across from Daryl, and they stole glances at one another throughout the meal. And Danielle couldn't help but to notice Merle looking at her during the meal as well.  
Afterwards Maggie and Beth cleaned up.  
Danielle's leg was hurting worse than usual and she approached Daryl to help her up the stairs.  
"Hey, can you help this misguided child?" Danielle asked with a playful smile. Daryl nodded and picked her up. He sat her down at the top of the stairs and turned to go back down them.  
"Oh so you are single?! Little brother I thought I taught ya better! When a hot piece of ass like that is available you gotta take it! Guess I'm the only one that's gonna get her!" Merle called from downstairs. Danielle had finally had enough of his shit, grabbed Daryl's arm, turned him around and smashed her lips to his. He hesitated but immediately began to kiss her back.  
Danielle broke the kiss off too soon.  
"Sorry sweetheart, I'm taken!" She called down to Merle. Danielle tried to ignore the stares she was getting from the rest of the group. She went to her cell and sat down on the bed. Her heart was racing from the kiss.  
She sat there for at least thirty minutes before it beat at its normal rate again. By that time no one was moving downstairs again. She stood to grab a pair of sweats to change into. Just as she was unbuttoning her shorts, she heard footsteps behind her. The girl looked back and saw that it was Daryl.  
She smiled and raised her arms.  
"Sorry about that, it's just your bro-" Daryl walked up to her and his lips met hers again. He pushed her up against the wall and pulled her uninjured leg around his waist. Danielle met his kiss with the same intensity and tangled her hand in his hair. His hand traveled down to her waist and he pushed himself against her causing the girl to gasp.  
"I want you." He whispered against her lips, causing her to become more excited. His lips moved from her lips, down her chin to her neck.  
Danielle clung to him with her leg and moaned quietly. Daryl kissed back up to her lips, and then pulled his lips away. Danielle whined and tried to pull him back but he wouldn't move.  
"Not here, not now." He said, he was out of breath. Danielle smirked.  
"Ok." She muttered. Daryl kissed her again.  
"But I still want you." He growled in her ear. Danielle bit her lip as he left her cell.  
There she stood, her hair a mess, face red, and out of breath.  
*How could he just, do that, and leave?!* She angrily thought.  
She wanted to run after him, but didn't want to make a scene. She glanced out the door and didn't see any sign of him.  
"Asshole." She muttered and went back in her cell.

It took another 30 minutes for her to calm down and fall asleep. Her dreams were filled with her redneck savior that night.


	9. The Neccesities

Chapter Nine

Danielle grew stronger over the next few weeks; she was able to jog now. She and Daryl hadn't had another confrontation but their friendship steadily grew.  
Danielle came in from her morning jog and found everyone sitting at the table. Daryl was leaning against a wall watching them. Danielle walked over to him.  
"What's going on?" She quietly asked.  
"Talkin about the water pump." He mumbled. Danielle's face lit up.  
"Running water?" She asked. He nodded slowly and watched the group.  
"Ok so we go down tomorrow and check it out." Rick stated. Danielle stepped forward.  
"Can I go?" She asked. Everyone looked up at her.  
"I don't know about-" Rick began to say.  
"Listen, all I've done is sat around here healing. And I'm strong enough to fight now, please let me go." She pleaded. Rick thought for a minute and nodded an ok. Daryl stared at him in disbelief.  
The meeting ended and everyone drifted off. Danielle helped Carol prepare dinner.  
Daryl walked up to Rick.  
"You can't let her go she isn't healed enough." Daryl hissed. Rick looked up at Daryl with a smile.  
"I think she knows when she's ready." Rick responded. Daryl exhaled and walked away. Carol heard what he said and smiled to herself.  
"What's so funny?" Danielle cheerfully asked. Carol looked over at her and chuckled.  
"Nothing." She answered her smile widening.

Dinner consisted of a buck Daryl caught and canned beans.  
"Tonight's watch is Glenn, Daryl, and Danielle." Rick announced while everyone ate.  
Danielle couldn't help but to smile.  
Dinner passed quickly, Danielle did the dishes and went up to her cell. She dug through her things and found her pistol and machete. She hadn't used either of them since she had got to the prison.  
She swung the machete around a few times and sat both of the weapons on the top bunk.  
She changed into her sweats and lay down. She figured she needed a few hours of sleep before watch.

_"Hurry!" A woman yelled. Danielle stood in a room staring at a man and woman packing bags. They ran through their apartment grabbing everything they needed. Danielle followed them as they went down the apartment stairs and out of the door. They ran to a car and started packing the trunk. Danielle really looked at the girl and gasped. It was her, this was her apartment that was- Her thought was cut short by the sound of growling and footsteps behind her. Danielle turned and tears came to her eyes. Fifty walkers stumbled down the street. She turned back at the sound of the trunk closing. The man was staring down at the past her with a cold face. The girl looked up at him. Danielle tried to scream, but couldn't stop what was bound to happen. The man grabbed the back of Danielle's head and slammed it against the trunk. She fell to the ground and held her head. The man looked down at her again, one last time, and ran to the car._

"Danielle, wake up!" Someone yelled. The girl shot up out of bed swinging her fist which was caught by a strong hand. Her face was stained with tears and she was covered in sweat. Daryl knelt next to her bed with concern all over his face.  
Danielle whipped her face, and tried to pretend like nothing happened.  
"Is it my turn?" She asked, standing up. Daryl stood too and blocked her way out.  
"Are you ok?" He asked. Danielle tried to smile and nodded. Daryl followed her out of the cell and up to the watchtower.  
Danielle sat down in a chair and looked up at him.  
"I'm fine really." She said, trying to sound genuine. Daryl pulled a chair up and silently sat next to her.  
Danielle accepted the fact that he was staying and pulled her legs up in front of her, resting her head on her knees. Her body violently shook.  
Daryl looked over at her and frowned. He had no coat to give her.  
The man slid his chair over to her, and hesitantly slid his arm around her. To his surprise she curled up into his chest. He put his other arm around her and rested his chin on her head. She quietly whimpered and sniffled. He held her closer.  
Before he knew it, they both drifted off to sleep.  
He woke up to the sun creeping over the horizon.  
He yawned and looked down at the girl still asleep in his arms.  
Smiling to himself he looked up trying to figure out the time. Probably around six thirty, seven o'clock.  
He took a deep breath of the morning air and tried to stretch without disturbing Danielle. But she groaned and lifted her head.  
The side of her face was red from leaning against his chest. She sat straight up and looked around the room.  
"Shit." She mumbled and stood up. Daryl quickly stood up and ran his hand through his hair. Danielle looked over at him and her face turned red.  
"I'm sorry." She muttered and turned to leave but Daryl caught her arm.  
"Are you ok?" He asked. His blue eyes bore into hers.  
She nodded.  
"Thanks...for helping." She mumbled. Daryl let go of her arm and they both went down to the prison.  
Rick had already gathered everyone who was going to go after the pump.  
Danielle quickly went up the stairs and retrieved her weapons which she had forgotten the night before. She made it back to the group just in time, they were about to leave.  
"Ok I'll lead and Daryl will take the back. Danielle I want you back with him in case something happens." Rick commanded. Danielle tried to argue and say she was fine but he threw one of his "my way or no way" looks. She stepped back and heard Daryl chuckle next to her.  
"Try not to use your guns, we don't need to announce to every walker in the prison that were here." Rick finished and headed to a barred door. Daryl stopped to say something to Merle before following them.  
Danielle looked at the group who was going.  
Rick, Glenn, Maggie, her, Daryl, and to Danielle's surprise Michonne. After the attack Rick seems to have welcomed her to the group, going back on what he had told her when she arrived.

_"You can stay here until you heal, but after that you're gone." Rick spit. Michonne nodded silently._

The loud clang of the door closing behind them brought Danielle back to reality. The group slowly walked through the halls, their senses on high alert.  
Their footsteps echoed loudly. Danielle gripped her machete and watched the area around them. She couldn't help but to feel comfort with the fact that Daryl was a few feet behind her and wouldn't let anything happen to her.  
"It's up here a little further." Rick whispered, and as if on cue a walker emerged from a cell he was passing. And before anyone could react Michonne had sunk her sword into its head. She grabbed it and quietly laid it on the ground. Rick nodded a thank you.  
Daryl was standing directly behind Danielle now, on high alert. He scanned every cell, and his footsteps made no noise.  
The girl couldn't help but to wish she could see him in action. His graceful steps, the swift movements of his crossbow. An arrow whizzed past her head and planted itself in between the eyes of another walker who was coming after the daydreaming girl.  
Daryl quickly retrieved his arrow and looked down at Danielle. He tapped his finger on the side of her forehead.  
"Head in the game." He whispered. She nodded and they caught up with the group.  
They came upon a door and Rick unlocked it. They all entered the large room and Rick closed the door behind them.  
Daryl and Glenn searched the room.  
"We're good." Daryl announced and let his crossbow hang at his side. Rick pointed to a large machine at the corner of the room.  
"That's the pump." He said and he, Daryl, Glenn and Maggie began inspecting it.  
Danielle knew she couldn't be of any help and saw a cot and a desk in the corner of the room. She walked over there and saw that there were pictures on the desk.  
A man with his two daughters. One was at a birthday party, another at what looked like the rodeo. Danielle smiled at their happy faces, but felt an overwhelming sadness. She sat the picture down and looked up at the people at the pump.  
Her eyes found Daryl first. He had a wrench and his hands were in the machine. His shaggy hair had fallen in his face; his biceps were straining from the labor. He glanced up at her and his familiar half smile crossed his lips. Danielle quickly turned around and continued to explore. She felt his eyes still on her.  
She walked over to the corner of the room and found a hallway. She glanced down the hallway and gasped.  
At least fifteen walkers were stumbling towards her.  
"Shit, shit, shit." She breathed as she fumbled for her machete without taking her eyes of the corpses. She pulled her machete out and continued backing up.  
"Hey guys!" She yelled. The girl swung at the first attacker, taking the top half of its head off, and before she swung at the next an arrow hit between its eyes.  
_Daryl._ She thought. And attacked the next. Now Michonne was next to her, decapitating the walkers.  
Rick, Glenn and Maggie stayed behind since they only had guns. But Daryl, Danielle and Michonne didn't seem to need them. They quickly picked off the hoard and Daryl ran down the hallway trying to find a door, Danielle was at his heels.

He found a door quite a way down the hall and yanked it closed. He turned and saw Danielle a few feet behind him.  
"You okay?" He asked looking her over. She nodded.  
"Yea, I'm fine." She answered.  
"Good job Danny." He said with a smile. Danielle smiled back.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"If you weren't so curious then we never would have seen them comin and there's no tellin what would have happened." He said. Danielle laughed and walked next to him back down the hallway.  
"Where'd you get Danny from?" She asked. He laughed.  
"Danielle's a mouth full." He said with a half smile and made his way back to the group. He went back to the pump and began helping again. Danielle stood watch, feeling proud that she had saved them.  
A few hours had passed and now Danielle was sitting in the janitor's desk. She'd found out that his name was Jack Thomson and he'd worked there for a very long time. He had had many pictures of him and inmates; he seemed to like his job.  
She saw a folded up piece of paper and unfolded it. 

"Dear Daddy,  
Mom said that it might be a long time until we see you again. She's making us stay inside since so many people are getting sick. But me and Anna are ok. We miss you lots Daddy! And we both love you a whole bunch! Mom's friend Jesse got sick and we don't see him anymore. Make sure you don't get sick so we can see you again!"

Danielle refolded the letter and found another one.

"Dear Dad,  
I miss you Dad. Anna's sick now and Mom's scaring me. She keeps crying and holding her. Your still not sick right daddy?..."

Danielle quickly put the letter down; she couldn't read anymore of it.  
She stood up and walked over to the group.  
"How's it going?" She asked. Maggie looked up at her.  
"We need to find the backup generator in order to turn it on. But we don't know where it is." She said in an irritated tone. Danielle ran back to the desk.  
"The janitor has a map! I saw it!" She exclaimed and dug through the papers. Her hands hesitated over the letters.  
"Found it!" She called out and ran back with the map.  
Everyone looked over it and planned a route.  
"We have to go down that hallway." Rick pointed to the hallway all of the walkers came from. Glenn groaned.  
"Down the walker nest?" He said. Rick looked over at him.  
"You and Maggie can stay here and keep working on the pump." He snapped and looked up at the rest of them.  
"Anyone else want to stay?" He asked. They all shook their heads. He smiled and began to head for the hallway.  
Rick lead, then Michonne, then Danielle, followed by Daryl.  
Rick opened the cell door and Daryl quietly closed it behind them. They all crept down the hallway until Rick signaled them to stop when they got to a corner. Daryl immediately went to the front and peered around the corner. He shot two arrows, and it was followed by two thuds. The group waited for a moment, then began to move again. Daryl fell to the back again.  
They walked down the long corridor and Rick had them stop again, he pulled out the map and began examining it.  
Everyone waited for him to come to a conclusion. Danielle turned to Daryl.  
"You should teach me how to shoot." She quietly said. He continued to scan the cells, not looking down at her.  
"Eventually." He muttered. Danielle smiled and turned back around, and saw that Rick was putting the map away. He pointed to a hallway down the corridor. Daryl began to walk forward again but he looked down at Danielle.  
"You ok?" He asked. Danielle nodded. He looked back up and walked to the hallway. He peeked around and quickly looked back.  
He showed Rick five fingers, meaning five walkers. Danielle's grip tightened on her machete. Daryl peered around the corner, shot, quickly reloaded, shot, reloaded, froze. A walker came around the corner right in his face. Danielle lunged forward to help but Michonne grabbed her arm. Danielle looked back up and Daryl shot one walker with his cross bow, stabbed another with an arrow, ripped the arrow from its head and stabbed the last one. He quickly went to retrieve his arrows, breathing heavily.  
Michonne let go of her arm, and Danielle looked back at her with an angry look.  
"He asked me to keep you back here." She said in her defense. Danielle shot a look at Daryl, and he returned it with a smile. He returned to the back and Rick led them down the hallway. Rick opened another door and signaled for Daryl to search the room.  
They had made it.  
Daryl disappeared for a few minutes then came back with his crossbow hanging on his hip.  
"We're good." He said. Rick raised an eyebrow.  
"You sure this time?" He said with a smile. Daryl rolled his eyes and went over to the generator. Danielle began to walk over and help but a body lying between two pieces of machinery caught her eye. She walked over to it and poked it with her machete. It didn't move.  
She kneeled in front of him and inspected him. He wore a blue uniform. Danielle looked down at the name tag and got a little choked up.  
It said Jack T. He was the janitor, who had two daughters and many friends.  
"You deserved better." Danielle whispered.  
"What are you doing?" Daryl asked, standing next to her. Danielle looked up at him with sorry eyes.  
"It's the janitor." She muttered. Daryl nodded and looked back at the group. He knelt next to Danielle and put his forehead against hers.  
"You okay?" He asked. Danielle laughed a little.  
"You ask me that a lot." She quietly said. Daryl smiled.  
"Just wanna make sure." He whispered. Their eyes met and they each felt each other's breath on their face.  
"Danielle, Daryl we got it!" Rick called. Daryl quickly stood up and pulled Danielle up with him. They walked over the Rick and Michonne hand and hand.  
"It runs on gas and its half full!" Michonne exclaimed. Danielle smiled.  
"So we'll have water?" She asked. Rick nodded.  
"We'll run it once a week, so everyone can shower. I'll turn it on now and we can shower today." Rick said. Daryl pulled the chain and the generator started, it was extremely loud.  
They all rushed back to where the pump was, and were met with it running as well. Now the entire group rushed back to the cell block.  
"The women can go first." Rick announced. "We've already cleared out the shower area so it's safe."  
All of the women ran to their cells to grab clothing and soap.  
Carol handed out towels and the women excitedly made their way to the showers.  
Danielle moved aside each of the curtains and when she determined that it was safe she stepped into a stall and slid her clothes off and turned the water on.  
It was cold for a few seconds but got extremely hot. Danielle enjoyed the heat and ran her hands through her hair. The water felt so good against her dirty skin.  
The girl took the soap and scrubbed herself until her skin hurt. Then she scrubbed her hair until it felt clean, and after that she scrubbed it again. The girl pulled out her razor and shaved her legs, and pits. She let the water run over her for a few more minutes and turned off the water. She dried of and slid clean clothes on. She glanced down at her leg and smirked when she saw the wound that was turning into a nasty scar.  
She gathered up her clothes and began to leave.  
"Hey guys I'm heading back!" Danielle called. Beth and Maggie responded, Carol must have headed back already.  
Danielle walked down the hallway with a smile on her face. She felt so nice, she hadn't showered in months.  
She walked into the cell block and smiled when she saw all the men waiting patiently for their return. Daryl sat on the stairs with his clothes and soap next to him.  
"Feel better?" He asked. His eyes were soft. Danielle nodded and smiled.  
"Much." She answered and went up the stairs. Daryl's eyes lingered on her and she went to her cell. About an hour later Carol went up to Danielle's cell.  
"Hey, were gonna wash some clothes." She said. Danielle smiled, gathered up her clothes and followed Carol downstairs.  
As she was scrubbing her clothes she saw Daryl leaving the hallway from the shower. She looked up and her heart fluttered.  
His shaggy hair was wet and fell in his face and his skin was shiny with water. He hadn't shaved but it looked like he lined his forming beard up. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans. Danielle's eyes watched his body move underneath his shirt. She bit her lip and smiled.  
_I'm gonna get him._ She thought to herself.


	10. Confrontations

Chapter Ten

Danielle emerged from her cell the next morning. She felt so good being clean. She wore her jogging shorts and a tank top that showed off her cleavage.  
Trying to ignore Merle's stares she found Daryl sitting at the table for breakfast. The determined girl sat next to him and smiled.  
"Good morning!" She chirped. He looked over at her and quickly looked away. He shifted uncomfortably.  
Danielle tried to make small talk as they ate, and Daryl didn't look down at her. She stood up and brushed passed him as she went outside to jog.  
Since she couldn't use the outer courtyard she found a smaller one surrounded by rooms. Daryl gave her the ok to jog there after he searched the place.  
She threw her hair up, put her headphones in and began to jog.  
About thirty minutes into her running Daryl came out to talk to her but she didn't notice. He leaned against the wall and watched her, trying to find out why she was acting so strange. She had never worn anything like that before, and she kept touching him which was out of the ordinary. Then he realized what she was trying to do and smiled to himself.  
He flagged her down and felt sure of what she was doing when he saw the devious smile cross her face.  
"Hey." She said, as she pulled her headphones out.  
"Rick wants us to go down to the generator and shut it off." Daryl half way lied. Rick only wanted him to go, but Daryl thought it was perfect.  
"Ok, sounds good." Danielle said in between breaths. They both went inside and Danielle went to her cell and grabbed her weapons. She met Daryl by the door. They went in and Daryl led them to the pump room, checked things out and they went down to where the generator was. They did a quick sweep of the room and Daryl shut off the generator.

Danielle turned back to the door, but Daryl pushed in front of her and closed it. Danielle looked at him curiously when he turned back around. A sexy half smile crossed his lips and she felt her heart flutter. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. He smashed his lips against hers and she met his kiss with just as much passion. He lifted her up and sat her on a table that was against the wall.  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He cupped her breast in his hand and began to massage it, Danielle moaned against his lips causing him to push against her. His lips trailed down to her neck and he began to bite and suck on her neck. She tugged his hair, pulling his head up and reached for the bottom of his shirt. She pulled it over his head and got her first look at his bare chest. His abs were tone and breathtaking. He yanked up her shirt and threw it on the ground next to them. He unbuttoned her bra as well and threw that too.  
The man marveled her bare chest for a moment and smashed his lips against hers again. She could feel his hardness pressing against her and reached down for his pants. She unbuttoned his pants and pulled his manhood out. He shuddered as she touched him.  
The girl began to stroke his length causing him to bury his face into her neck. He reached down and started to rub her through her shorts.  
Danielle couldn't handle it anymore. She let go of him and pushed him back. She hopped off the table and shoved him on the ground. The girl slid out of her shorts and panties. Daryl stared up at her and felt himself harden more.  
She crawled on top of him and kissed him again. Then she sat up and lowered herself on him slowly. His hands gripped her hips and she began to ride him. His eyes fell closed and he bucked into her.  
His eyes shot open and he rolled her over and was on top now. He kissed her gently and continued to thrust into her. Loud moans escaped her throat and he muffled them with his lips. He thrusted faster and harder, and soon both of them felt a burst of pleasure and Daryl collapsed on top of her.  
He rolled over and they both, out of breath, stared up at the ceiling.  
A satisfied smile was on each of their faces.  
Daryl sat up and looked down at the naked girl; a warm smile came across his lips when their eyes met. He leaned down and kissed her softly.  
"We need to get back so they don't come looking." He whispered. Danielle nodded and he stood up, and buttoned his pants up. Danielle slid into her panties and shorts and reached down for her shirt and bra. When she stood back up she saw that Daryl was gazing at her.  
"You're beautiful Danny." He quietly said. Danielle blushed and put the rest of her clothes on.  
He unlocked the door and they made their way back to the cell block. And to Danielle's surprise, Daryl reached down and grabbed her hand as they walked to the table.  
"We were gettin worried-" Rick began to say but his mouth shut when he saw their hands. Glenn and Maggie chuckled.  
The rest of the day quickly passed, Daryl and Danielle were with each other throughout it.  
That night Daryl had first watch, followed by Hershel and Glenn.  
Danielle went up to her cell. She dug in her bag for a change of clothes and her hands brushed against the coldness of her camera. Her body went cold and she quickly closed the bag up not even worrying about clothes. She grabbed her mp3 player and laid down in bed. She pulled the blanket around her and buried her face in the pillow.

_"Please!" She sobbed staring after the silver car speeding away. The walkers got closer to her and she tried to stand but she was so disorientated. The girl managed to stumble in the doorway and make it up the stairs to her apartment. She closed the door behind her and tried to walk forward but she tripped over her own foot and fell on the floor. The broken girl curled up in a ball and cried. Tears mixed with blood washed over her face._

"Hey, Danny, wake up." Someone whispered. Danielle's eyes opened and she saw Daryl kneeling next to the bed. Danielle sniffled and brought her hand up to her face.  
"Sorry." She muttered. Daryl smiled and whipped a new tear away.  
"You ok?" He asked. Danielle nodded and slid over.  
"Stay with me?" She quietly asked. Daryl smiled and slid in bed next to her. She curled up to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.  
His mind was racing with questions but he held them back.  
"Don't leave me." She mumbled. Daryl frowned and pulled her closer.


End file.
